LABOUR has confirmed its remaining candidates to compete for places on the “shadow” authority that will prepare the borough for local government reorganisation.

Two weeks ago the Pioneer revealed how the party’s official selection process for a drastically reduced number of seats on the temporary authority had started at the King Centre in Ellesmere Port.

During the meeting members began the voting process for the 18 candidates they want to put forward for the six local wards – three in each – included on the shadow council which will go up for grabs at the elections on May 1.

At the time Mark Henesy, Brian Jones and Peter Robson were only provisionally selected for Groves & Whitby.

But Labour’s regional executive has now confirmed them as the three candidates for the ward.

The reason the party could not confirm their selection at the meeting was because there was no woman among the three as stipulated by party rules.

Also subject to a final decision by the executive was Central & Westminster ward whose final line-up selectors were unable to agree on.

However, the contenders have now been confirmed as current county council Labour leader Derek Bateman, borough council Labour chief Justin Madders and Lynn Clare, who is standing as a councillor for the first time.

She is well-known in the area as founder of the locally- based Parents Against Drug Abuse.

Candidates for Ledsham & Willaston have also been confirmed as current borough mayor Ted Lloyd, Catherine Sherlock and Jamie Merrick while Andy Williams, Louise Gittens and Abdul Jilani have been selected for Neston & Parkgate.

Under local government reorganisation the county council will be scrapped and replaced with all-purpose authorities serving the east and west of Cheshire.

The shadow council will run the borough until it joins up with Vale Royal and Chester in the new Cheshire West authority in 2009.